Ganges
3
by Kevin Huizenga
It's time for comics connoisseurs to crank up their cogitation once
again, as a new issue of Ganges is in stock and on sale here at
The Copacetic Comics Company. And the verdict? Kevin
Huizenga once again delivers the goods! This time around we have
the inner workings of an agitated mind – that of Glenn Ganges, to
answer your question – at the edge of sleep, visually embodied as its
own cartoon being, distinct and separate from
– if in many respects identical to – the
body housing this mind. All readers who have ever had a rough
time falling asleep and have had their mind wander to and fro seemingly
of its "own" accord will have plenty to relate to here, and there are
indeed many comic moments in this comic book, BUT there is also much
food for thought, along with a poetic evocation of middle-American
suburban landscapes as dreamscapes that shows Huizenga slowly feeling
his way towards integrating some weightier emotional content into his
analytics. In symbolically dissecting the neurophysiological
mechanics of consciousness on the
precipice of sleep, as the waking mind gradually lets go of sensory
input and transitions to a period of internal synaptic data transfer,
Huizenga once again strives to put the language of comics to novel
uses. The layers of consciousness are first depicted and then
explored as metamorphic strata composed of distinctly variant degrees
of abstraction; memories transform into imaginings which then turn in
on themselves in auto-analyses all prompted by the slightest shifts in
the tectonic plates of self-awareness. This is a comic that not
only can, but demands to be read over and over again. There is
so much going on here that each reading will turn up something that
was missed before. Here is work that is powering comics
forward, and that should not be missed by anyone who want to see where
it's going.retail price - $7.95 copacetic
price -
$7.25

Driven
By Lemonsby
Joshua Cotter
This book took us quite by surprise, as it will anyone who read or is
even familiar with Cotter's previous and best known work, Skyscrapers of the
Midwest. Skyscrapers,
was a widely lauded work which originally appeared in a series of comic
books before being collected as a hardcover graphic novel. It
presented a relatively straightforward tale in which fantasy
intertwined with reality that hewed closely to narrative norms.
In other words, it is a work that in no way prepares any of its
readers for the free flowing stream that is Driven By Lemons. Cotter,
along with Adhouse Books publisher,
Chris Pitzer,
have here created a book that is, by all appearances, a facsimile of
Cotter's 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" hardcover Moleskine sketchbook (although it is
highly unlikely that it is actually
a true facsimile, the conceit that it is is important to its
meaning). While some of the work it contains will be clearly
recognizable to readers of Cotter's earlier work, most boldly charts
new territory. In a nutshell, Driven
By Lemons is a shining example of self-discovery through
sketchbooking. Clearly, something has changed in Cotter's life
since he completed Skyscrapers,
and as he tried to adapt to his new environment – physical, emotional,
psychological, or some combination of these – he kept a record of his
travails in his sketchbook, tried to cohere it into some sort of
narrative, and Driven By Lemons
is the result. There is some truly adventurous comics work here;
you can feel the inspiration. Make sure to crack this one open
and take a look.retail price - $19.95 copacetic
price -
$17.77

The Unclothed
Man in the 35th Century A.D.
by Dash Shaw
The wunderkind of comics
strikes again with this unique book that is as visually intriguing as
it is intellectually challenging. It intermeshes comics – most of
what is collected here originally appeared in the pages of MOME
– with storyboards and production sketches for some
animations that Shaw produced, in collaboration with Jane Samborski,
for IFC. Starting with the animation-cell-like dustjacket
that overlays an illustrated cloth hardcover, and proceeding through a
variety of paper stocks, this full color collection by the author of
the much heralded Bottomless Belly
Button will take you on a ride that makes you think.retail price - $19.95 copacetic
price -
$17.77

Binky Brown
Meets the Holy Virgin Mary
by Justin Green
introduction by Art Spiegelman
We were a tad skeptical – when we first got wind of this re-issue of
one
of the undisputed classics of the underground era of comics – that it
would justify its hefty price tag: but all of our doubts vanished
as
soon as this splediferous volume emerged from the box it arrived
in. This is a fabulous, gilded and embossed hardcover edition
that is a
whopping 10" x 14" and reproduces the entire original classic comic
book directly from the black
& white,
pen & ink original, using full color reproduction. What this
means is that you can
really see the original art in all its imperfect glory:
white-out, blue pencil, inadvertent stains – all are clearly on
display, rendering the creative process visible, and allowing the
reader to really see the art
that brought this major comics milestone
into being. As for describing the work itself, we'll hand that
job off to these highly esteemed commentators: "Justin Green –
he's out of his mind. I love every stroke of his nervous pen,
every tortured scratch he ever scrawled. He was among the top
storytelling artists of the first wave of 'underground' comics, a
darkly
humorous social commentator, and the FIRST, absolutely the FIRST EVER
cartoonist to draw highly personal autobiographical comics. Binky
Brown started many other
cartoonists along the same path, myself included." – R. Crumb <•> "With Binky Brown, comics
went practically overnight from being an art form that saw from
the outside in to one that sees from the inside out. (Justin
Green's) internal struggle can practically be felt in the drawings
themselves, the style sometimes changing from panel to panel –
sometimes even within the panels themselves – all in a effort to simply
arrive at The Truth. Comics wouldn't be what they are today
without this book, and this new edition places it in its proper place
in the comics literary canon. Thank God for Binky Brown.
And thank God
for Justin Green." – Chris
Ware <•> "I
like it very
much but I don't get the slang." – Federico Fellini <•> Is
there really anything more left to be said? If those endorsements
don't sell you, nothing will!retail price - $29.00 copacetic
price -
$26.00

Strange
Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives Volume One
By Steve Ditko
edited by Blake Bell
This is it! The motherload of classic early – and rare! and
expensive! (take from us, we know) – Ditko
comics from 1953 to 1955 is now available in this readily affordable
(well, at least when compared to the originals) 240 page hardcover
volume from Fantagraphics Books. Primarily produced for the
then respectable Charlton Comics, but with a handful executed for
Prize, Ajax, Gillmor and Timor – these are comics! Presented
here in high quality reproductions taken from full color scans of the
original comics, this is how they are meant to be seen. All we
have to say right now is, "Yes, yes, yes! Read these great comics."
(OK, we also have to say that all fans of Gilbert Hernandez should be
taking an extra hard look at some of the comics contained in this
volume, as close examination will reveal that therein lies some of his
primal inspiration as a cartoonist.)retail price - $39.95 copacetic
price -
$34.95

The Art of
Steve Ditko
by Steve Ditko; edited by Craig Yoe
As if the above weren't enough, we now also have this oversize cloth
hardcover brimming with more
classic Ditko art!
Compared to the
Fantagraphics volume, the page size is larger and the paper stock seems
to us to be a bit brighter and the colors a bit lighter. This
one is divided into a number of thematically organized sections and has
a bit more editorial content courtesy of editor Yoe. While,
yes, there is a bit of overlap between the two volumes, it is fairly
minimal. This
book spans a greater number of years and presents a wider variety of
material and so only a few of the earlier stories are duplicated in the
volume listed above. If your budget limits you to only one
volume, we'd have to say go with the Fantagraphics, but, c'mon:
this is classic Ditko we're talking about here. and it's well worth the
price, so put if you have to, put it on the back burner for now, but
don't forget it's there. retail price - $29.95 copacetic
price -
$27.95

Crossing the
Empty Quarter
by Carol Swain
Carol Swain has quietly been amassing a substantial and significant
body of work in her native England for approximately a quarter century,
building a small but significant following among the comics cognoscenti
here in the States, who have been admiring and enjoying her work in
dribs and drabs as it has made its way over here in numerous
anthologies, one previous collection – Way Out Strips – and two graphic
novels – the just released Giraffes
in My Hair, done in collaboration with Bruce Paley, and Foodboy – most published by
Fantagraphics Books. Now Dark Horse Books has stepped up to
publish a quite substantial collection of her short stories, 38 in all
– 29 in black & white and 9 in colour – most of which are executed
in her texture-accenting colored pencil technique which has won her
many a convert, and many of which have not been previously available in
the USA. This 200 page hardcover is a rare treat that is filled
with unique, heartfelt work that hits home. Get a feel for it
with this 20-page online "flip-book."
You'll be glad you did.retail price - $24.95 copacetic
price -
$22.22

Monsters
by Ken Dahl
Ken Dahl is back and as miserable as ever in Monsters, a fraught-filled, deeply
personal memoir of his "relationship" with the herpes simplex virus and
how it has affected his personal life as well as his physical and
psychological health. The brutal honesty on display here may make
uncomfortable reading for some, while others will find it
welcome. There is, however, no debating the artistic authority
which Dahl brings to this project. How the events transpired;
what his feelings and thoughts were as they did; how he dealt with the
repercussions; the reactions of others, how he responded to them and
what he felt as he did – all are conveyed clearly and effectively along
with a healthy dollop of educational information about the science
behind the virus, leaving the reader with a newfound appreciation for
the complexities involved in navigating the physical and emotional
minefield of carrying this omnipresent germ.retail price - $16.95 copacetic
price -
$15.00

MOME
17
edited by Gary Groth and Eric Reynolds
There's no question that the highlight of this issue is the thirty page
conclusion to Paul Hornschemeier's Life with Mr. Dangerous, which
began its serialization in MOME all the way back in the first
issue! Next up in the list is the first ever (to our knowledge,
anyway) collaboration between the mighty Dash Shaw and Tom Kaczynski,
the aptly titled, "Resolution." Also on hand are the second parts
of both T. Edward Bak's "Wild Man" and Ted Stearn's new Fuzz and Pluck
adventure, "The Moolah Tree," as well as the first two parts of Oliver
Schrauwen's latest, "Congo Chromo." Laura Park, Sara
Edward-Corbet, Rick Froberg, Kurt Wolfgang, Derek Van Gieson,
Renée French, Josh Simmons and Michael Jada round out the
issue. MOME continues to deliver on its promise.retail price - $14.99
copacetic price -
$12.75

The Comics Journal #300
This is, reportedly, the last issue of the Journal in it's current
format. After this it will become a hybrid publication:
updated daily online
with the news, reviews, and opinion pieces that have been Journal
mainstays for many a decade now, and then, a semi-annually published
deluxe book-like edition that sounds like it's taking its cue – at
least somewhat – from Comic Art Magazine.
That said, this format is going out with a real BANG! Its 286
pages are packed with some of the greatest comics conversations you are
likely to find under one cover anywhere! Check it out: The
ball starts rolling with a whopping 32-page exchange between none other
than Art Spiegelman and Kevin Huizenga – this one alone is worth the
price of admission; this is then folowed in due course by conversations
between Jean-Christophe Menu and Sammy Harkham; Frank Quitely and Dave
Gibbons; David Mazzucchelli and Dash Shaw; Alison Bechdel and Danica
Novgorodoff; Howard Chaykin and Ho Che Anderson; Denny O'Neil and Matt
Fraction; Jaime Hernandez and Zak Sally (!); Ted Rall and Matt Bors;
Jim Borgman and Keith Knight; and Stan Sakai and Chris Schweizer...
whew! So what are you waiting for? You know you can't pass
this one up! retail price - $14.99 copacetic
price -
$12.75

Sublife
2
by John Pham
The creator of the Procrastonauts™ clearly knows whereof he speaks, as
he takes his time getting things done; but when he finally gets around
to delivering, it's always
worth the wait. This has never been more true than with this, the
second issue of Sublife.
If there's another work currently on the shelves that's more jam-packed
with the wholesome goodness of fine comics, then we don't know about
it. With the exception of two blank pages that are required to
properly demarcate the respective narrative spaces of discrete stories,
and which, serving as such, can be considered as aesthetically
necessary, this fine objet d'art
is brimming over with comics to savor. Starting off with the
literally groovy front and back covers, all content contained in this
horizontally fomatted, squarebound, 52-page, two-color work of comics
art is presented in a formally integrated fashion. Pham uses his
format to great advantage, exploiting its ability to emphasize both the
vertical and the horizontal axes. As soon as the reader opens the
book, it needs to be rotated 90º, which presents a strongly
vertical space, in which is first encountered a series of horizontal
"daily" strips, folllowed by a truly cosmic saga that makes very good
use of this vertical orientation. We are then taken back down to
earth by rotating back to the horizontal for a sedately paced tale,
then rotate once more to a single vertical spread relating saints and
school days, before again going back to the horizontal for a lengthy,
rough-and-tumble Mad Max-esque tale that is reproduced from
commensurately tough-and-tumble
pencils,
before everything is wrapped up on the inside back cover, back in the
vertical, with a single, full page "Sunday" strip. Don't leave
2009 behind you without reading this!retail price - $7.99 copacetic
price -
$7.00

Beanworld 3: Remember Here When You Are There
by Larry Marder
introduction by Jeff Smith
The first NEW Beanworld book in... well, we're not sure how long, but
we know the number of years is in the double digits, so all you
long-time Beanworlders have a real reson to celebrate, and all you
Johnny-come-latelies, well, you know, you have a reason to celebrate
too, even if you don't know it. Beanworld was one of the few true
originals of the "Black and White Explosion" titles that flooded the
market during the mid- to late-80s. When the flood ebbed, it took
most of the forgettable titles with it, but Beanworld had established
a firm beachhead on the comics terrain, with a strong core group of
supporters that have kept it alive – if out of print – for the
intervening years until its 2009 return, courtesy of Dark Horse Books,
which began with the collecting of all extant work in two hardcover
books, and has now culminated in this third, all-new volume, the first
made-to-order Beanworld graphic novel. Get beany at Larry
Marder's Beanworld
Bog.retail price - $19.99 copacetic
price -
$17.77

The
Act-I-Vate Primer
edited by Scott Dunbier and Dean Haspiel
forward by Warren Ellis
This horizontally formatted (think laptop screen) hardcover volume
sporting a nifty Nick Bertozzi cover illo contains sixteen original
stories produced under the aegis of the popular eponymous comix website.
Stand-outs for us were the leadoff tale by Michael Fiffe, "Cactus,"
"Persimmon Cup" by Nick Bertozzi, and "The Boy Who Came to Stay" by the
one and only Roger Langridge. There's a nice variety of styles on
display here and you can check many of them out at the aforementioned
website, so go ahead and take a look.... So, what'd you think?retail price - $24.95 copacetic
price -
$22.22

A
Distant Neighborhood, Volume 2
by Jiro Taniguchi
Can you believe it?! A mere month after the first volume finally
found its way to our humble shelves, here it is, the concluding second
volume! Who would've believed
it? Taniguchi herein puts his own personal twist on that staple
of the autobiographical comics genre, the high school
reminiscence.
Instead of the employing the standard autobio method whereby the author
simply relates their high school memories, Taniguchi takes this
narrative out of the mundane and into the fantastic by having his
protagonist spiritually
travel back in time to his high school years and physically occupy the
body of his own
high school self and thereby actually relive a crucial year of his
life, but with the mind and memories of his adult self still
intact. It might sound zany, but, in a way, this method simply
introduces into the diegesis (in other
words, makes explicit) what is
normally left outside it (in other words, kept merely implicit), for
the author of any autbio comic does, of course, travel back in time and
relive earlier years from the point of view of their adult self,
through memory. This award winning work helped cement
Taniguchi's reputation when
it was originally published in Japan in 1998, and now at last American
readers have the chance to enjoy this engaging and entertaining
"what-if" tale, courtesy of the fine folks at Fanfare/Ponent-Mon.retail price - $23.00 copacetic
price -
$20.75

Items
from our December 2009 listings may now be purchased online at our new
site,HERE.

New for
November 2009

A
Distant Neighborhood, Volume 1
by Jiro Taniguchi
There is an embarrassment of riches in the Taniguchi department this
month as we have – unbelievably – twonew (to American readers)
works. A Distant Neighborhood
is a two volume work, and we are told that we won't have long to wait
for the conclusion. It is a work of the interior, a what-if sort
of tale. Specifically, it graphically asks the question:
what if you could go back and relive the critical years of your
adolescence over again, while still retaining your adult
memories? We don't have anything further to say about this one
right now (but we will!) other than, "Hey, it's Taniguchi. What
more do you need to know?" Well then, how about checking out this
brief
preview (look to the left hand side of the page and click on the
thumbnails of the cover image for this book [and the next] to get to
the preview and then click on the thumbnails of the pages for full size
images).retail price - $23.00 copacetic
price -
$20.75

The
Summit of the Gods, Volume 1
by Jiro Taniguchi and Yumemakura BakuWhile
this is, evidently, an adaptation of an adventure novel of the
same name by Yumemakura Baku, it is a match made in heaven, as it reads
like pure Taniguchi. In many respects this is an ideal follow-up
to Quest for the Missing Girl. Summit of the Gods is an
exploration into the mechanics of masculinity, male-bonding, identity
formation and the competitive instinct in the guise of a mountain
climbing epic. It is also an artistic tour de force as Taniguchi
pulls out all the stops and goes for page after page of stunning art
that deftly parallels the urban environs of Tokyo, wherein the skeins
of the story unwind and the haunting mountain peaks that are the
story's central focus. Readers are drawn into this work through a
fairly sophisticated use of narrative bracketing technique – somewhat
reminiscent of Joseph Conrad – that quite successfully contextualizes
these ruggedly manly atavistic adventures in the world of men doing
business in modern Japan. The story starts off with a
photographer in Nepal having just finished covering a failed attempt at
scaling Mt. Everest. His nagging feelings of let down lead him to
linger longer in Kathmandu wherein he stumbles into the tale that makes
up Summit of the Gods and which we are subtly led to see from his point
of view. It is a story that presents many of the tropes we
associate with the superhero genre of comics here in the USA – a
rugged, muscle-bound, loner driven by the inner demons of having his
parents die tragically while he was still a child to become obsessed
with achievement to the point of alienating his peers yet through his
achievements attracting the adulation of a teen sidekick who had a
similarly tragic loss of his parents (beginning to sound familiar?) –
yet with a spectacularly greater degree of realism than what we
associate with American superhero comics. This is a story that is
set in the real world and, while there is an element of escapism
present in the mountain climbing theme, the material is entirely devoid
of the fantastic fantasies that are essential to superheroes by their
very nature, yet it nevertheless manages to provide the same
quintessential frisson-filled catharsis. This makes it an ideal
comics work for those long-suffering comics fans who pine for that
long-ago thrill that they once enjoyed in the pages of superhero comics
but that is now denied them by the reality principle that has been
imposed upon them as responsible adults. Taniguchi is without
peer in his ability to create a sense of place and in setting the pace,
and this work is a real page turner if ever there was one (except for
the fact that some readers will want to pause to lavish their attention
on the amazingly detailed urban and mountain landscapes). And
this 320 page epic is only the first of FIVE volumes. For lovers
of pen & ink adventure, it's almost too good to be true... retail price - $25.00 copacetic
price -
$22.22

Hot Potatoe
by Marc Bell
Voot O'Reenie! Break out the Slim Gaillard and get
comfortable! This gigantic album of the one and only Marc Bell,
Canada's answer to long lonely winters, is coming over and you'll want
to be prepared. Comics, illustration, mixed media and Bell's own
idiosyncratic combinations of these that together embody one of the
most singular ouevres in the art comics biz are all amply on display
in the over 270, 9" x 12" pages. Color and black and white works
are reproduced accordingly and with care in this
multiple-paper-stock-employing oversize hardcover volume that is an
ideal tonic for chasing away those winter blues, and has been released
just in time to do the jobretail price - $39.95 copacetic
price -
$33.95Big
Questions #13: A House That Floats
by Anders Nilsen
Already another issue! This is the shortest interval between
issues since D & Q began publishing it with the seventh issue; and
not only that, but this time out we have a double-length 48-page
issue! It appears that Mr. Nilson has been eating his
Wheaties™. This issue comes equipped with French flaps which
provide the added bonus of cameo-style portraits and mini-bios of the
entire cast of characters. We know that this issue, coming so
fast on the heels of the last, and being a double issue to boot, will
be a shock to the wallet of some, and so we are offering it, for now,
at a special reduced price.retail price - $9.95 copacetic
price -
$7.77

Red
Snow
by Susumu Katsumata
Canadian publisher, Drawn and Quarterly extends their manga
winning streak with the excellent hardcover collection of ten short
stories. Susumu Katsumata is yet another of the manga
maestros who are woefully
under-recognized here
in North America that D & Q has taken upon themselves to introduce
to what they hope – and so far has been – an appreciative
audience. Katusmata's work is unique in that it falls into the
category of gekiga – the grittier form of manga pioneered by Tatsumi
and others – yet, unlike the vast majority of those practicing their
craft within this form, Katsumata's tales are set in rural pre-modern
Japan, giving his work some parallels with that master of Japanese
cinema, Akira Kurosawa. Includes an interview with and biography
of the author.retail price - $24.95 copacetic
price -
$22.22

Aya: The Secrets Come Out
by Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie
The third volume in this intelligent and endearing look at bourgeois
life in Côte d'Ivoire – The Ivory Coast to those of us in the
English speaking world – during the 1970s that focuses on the trials
and tribulations of a large cast of characters (that are helpfully
outlined in a double page spread to assist those readers for whom this
volume is their first to get up to speed) that centers on a young
woman named Aya. Oubrerie's art is stunning as usual, as he
continues to bring to life the unique color pallet of western
Africa. At once exotic and mundane, this series truly brings this
time and place back to life.retail price - $19.95 copacetic
price -
$17.77

The Book
About Moomin, Mymble and Little My
by Tove Jansson
This NOT a fifth book in the collection of Moomin comics. That
collection was – to the best of our knowledge – completed with the
fourth volume. What this IS, is something else altogether:
an amazing example of book arts that combines storytelling, gorgeous
full color illustration and inventive die-cutting to create a unique
reading experience that can be enjoyed by all ages. Be sure to
pick this one up and look through it!retail price - $16.95 copacetic
price -
$15.00

Like a Dog
by Zak Sally
Long suffering indy comics – and, indy music (he was a member of the
rock trio Low for many a moon) – creator, editor and publisher steps
into the Fantagraphics spotlight with this rugged yet strangely elegant
hardcover collection that gives us – his not quite so suffering fans –
a chance to read the vast majority of his hard to find and largely out
of print work, including, most notably, the first two numbers of The Recidivist (the third is still,
as of this writing, in print and available from Sally's own imprint, La
Mano). Visceral, gripping, dark, and, most importantly, good,
these are comics worth reading. Here's
a PDF preview to help give you a better idea what we're talking
about (and to help induce you to take the
plunge, we're offering it at a special price).retail price - $22.95 copacetic
price -
$18.88

MOME
16
edited by Eric Reynolds and Gary Groth
The obvious highlight of this issue for us here at The CCC is the
new Cold
Heat story by the team of Frank Santoro, Ben
Jones &
Jon
Vermilyea. In addition, we have on hand: the furiously
productive Dash
Shaw, who translates an episode of "Blind Date" into comics
form; the
second chapter of T. Edward Bak's "Wild Man - The Strange
Journey - and Fantastic Accounts - of the Naturalist Georg Wilhelm
Steller, from Bavaria to Bolshaya Zemlya (and Beyond)"; new
work from Renée French (who is also responsible for this issue's
front and back covers); an all-new
“Funny Bunny” strip by the rarely seen (in comics, anyway) Archer
Prewitt; “The
Moolah Tree”, a new Fuzz & Pluck graphic novel from Ted Stearn,
begins it's serialization here; the
MOME debut of Nicholas Mahler – "What Is Art?" (translated by Kim
Thompson);and new stories from Lilli Carré,
Conor O'Keefe, Laura Park, Nate
Neal, and Sara Edward-Corbett, with incidental drawings by Kaela
Graham. Get a PDF preview, HERE.retail price - $14.95 copacetic
price -
$12.75

Cometbus #53
by Aaron Cometbus
Aaron is still riding the Punk Train (see #52 for more). This
time out we have a lengthy piece on the early days of punk and art and
comics in NYC in the mid-1970s that is largely derived from an in-depth
interview Aaron conducted with John Holstrom, the co-founder of the
legendary Punk Magazine. But that's just the main course, there's
plenty more on offer here. For starters, this issue is
co-authored by long-time Cometbus pal, Maddalena Polletta, who
contributes a half dozen pieces which are interspersed throughout,
providing contrapuntal hamony and making for a idiosyncratic and
personal – if dolorous – production. Grab a copy and stick it in
your pocket, so that when you head out into the cold harsh world you'll
know you have a friend along. retail price - $3.00 copacetic
price -
$2.75No Cartoon Left
Behind
by Rob Rogers
Here it is, the big book of editorial cartoons by the resident
cartoonist at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for the past quarter
century. This is an especially nice book as editorial cartoon
collections go. It is a wallopin' 380
10" x 12" pages
printed on semi-gloss stock.
It opens up with five chapters that give a brief overview of Rob's
development as a cartoonist and then heads in for twenty thematically
united chapters of cartoons that take us on rollercoaster ride of the
last twenty five years, through the prism of his editorial lens.
Especially interesting is the chapter, "Holy Cow Tipping," which
includes a number of examples of the kind of venomous and vituperative
responses his cartoons sometimes receive from the Post-Gazette's
readership as well as several cartoons that were either killed by the
editors of the paper or deemed by Rogers himself to have been a
mistake. This chapter provides a fascinating behind the scenes
glimpse at the world of editorial cartooning that is the icing on this
birthday cake of a book. retail price - $39.95 copacetic
price -
$35.95Starting
Point: 1979 - 1996
by Hayao Miyazaki
This 460 page hardcover is a dream come true for anyone wanting to
learn more about the life and mind of Miyazaki, the man behind what are
probably the greatest animated
films of our time. This volume collects essays, interviews,
and memoirs written and conducted during the first two decades of his
career. Readers will discover his theories of animation as well
as how he came to formulate them, stories of his childhood, the
founding of Studio Ghibli, as well as how all these came
together. Food for thought, indeed.retail price - $29.95 copacetic
price -
$27.77

Logicomix:
An Epic Search for Truth
By Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H. Papadimitriou
Artwork by Alecos Papadatos and Annie Di DonnaWe're
sorry for not listing this sooner, but our initial shipment sold out
in a matter of days after its arrival – before we even had the chance
to list it here – and then when we went to reorder we learned that the
entire first printing had sold out! Well, now that we have our
hot little hands on the second printing we want to let all you math and
logic types, as well as those intrigued by the developments in this
field that led to the Alan Turing's breakthroughs that made computers
possible and so indirectly gave birth to the information age amidst
which we currently find ourselves, that this engaging and highly
readable graphic account the history of mathematics and logic during
the first half of the twentieth century is now back on our
shelves. Employing the dramatic device of linking all the
historical events to the life of the philosopher/mathematician,
Bertrand Russell, and bracketing the story with a self-referential
account of its creation in the present, the authors have managed the
difficult feat of simultaneously educating and entertaining the reader
in equal measure. Needless to say (but, as all of you reading
this well know, that has never stopped us before and we see no reason
to let it start stopping us here) this book is packed with potential to
be the perfect holiday gift for any mathematically inclined comics
reader. Learn plenty more about it at: http://www.logicomix.comretail price - $22.95
copacetic price -
$20.00
Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror
by... The Kramers Ergot Gang!
We're also sorry for not listing this sooner, but our initial shipment
of this too sold out in a matter of days after its arrival – before we
even had the
chance to list it here – and we weren't sure that we would be able to
get a restock on it. But now we have! So, if you missed out
on this one the first time around, you have received a reprieve and
been given another chance – don't blow it. What's all the fuss
about? Well, this is a 48 page (no interior ads!) full color
comic book "starring" the Simpsons written and drawn by Tim Hensley,
Matthew Thurber, Kevin Huizenga, Jordan Crane, Ted May, Sammy Harkham,
Will Sweeney, Jon Vermilyea, Ben Jones, John Kerschbaum, Jeffrey Brown
and C.F., and featuring a cataclysmic cover by none other than dazzlin'
Dan Zettwoch - 'nuff said!retail price - $4.95 copacetic
price -
$4.44

Items
from our November 2009 listings may now be purchased online at our new
site,HERE.

New for
October 2009

The Book of Genesis, Illustrated
by
R. Crumb
Yes, here it is: the most talked about book in comics. Five
years at the drawing board hath wrought Crumb's own pen & ink
rendering of the West's origin myth. Crumb, as he warned and as
we would naturally expect, hasn't pulled any punches and has
illustrated this tale as written, warts and all. Crumb says it
best himself in his introduction: "I, R. Crumb, the illustrator
of this book, have, to the best of my ability, faithfully reproduced
every word of the original text... Every other comic book version of
The Bible that I've seen contains passages of completely made-up
narrative and dialogue, in an attempt to streamline and
'modernize' the old scriptures, and still, these various comic
book Bibles all claim to adhere to the belief that the Bible is 'the
word of God' or 'inspired by God,' whereas I, ironically, do not
believe the Bible is 'the word of God.' I believe it is the words
of men. It is, nonetheless, a powerful text with layers of
meaning that reach deep into our collective consciousness, our
historical consciousness, if you will. It seems to be an inspired
work but I believe that its power derives from its having been a
collective endeavor that evolved and condensed over many generations
..." Every line in this book is hand drawn. The only
mechanical text is on the copyright page, the inside jacket flaps, and
the commentary in the addendum. It's the Bible! It's a
comic book! It's Crumb! It is, in short, amazing.
Dive right in with this
preview.retail price - $24.95 copacetic
price -
$22.22

The Best
American Comics 2009
edited by Charles Burns
Well, Crumb is a tough act to follow, but we'll give it a shot with
this star-studded anthology filled with the best and the brightest from
the last twelve months of comics, as judged by Charles Burns. In
a book like this, we feel that the contributor list says it best:
Doug Allen, Peter Bagge, Gabrielle Bell, Matt Broersma, Daniel Clowes,
Al Columbia, Robert Dennis Crumb, Sammy Harkham, Tim Hensley, Gilbert
Hernandez, Kevin Huizenga, Ben Katchor, Kaz, Aline Kominsky-Crumb,
Michael Kupperman, Jason Lutes, Tony Millionaire, Jerry Moriarty,
Anders Nilsen, Gary Panter, Laura Park, Mimi Pond, Ron Regé,
David Sandlin, Koren Shadmi, Dash Shaw, Art Spiegelman, Ted Stearn,
Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Dan
Zettwoch. 'Nuff said. Well, actually, we can't help but
add that while the material contained in this anthology is absolutely
fabulous, the quality of its reproduction is, mysteriously, not up to
the same standard as the three previous volumes in this series, which
were excellent in that department. This shouldn't stop anyone
from picking up this fine volume, but it is worrisome. Let's hope
that this was a one time aberration and that next year we'll find the
fine folks at Houghton Mifflin have figured out what went wrong and put
things in the production department back on track.retail price - $22.95 copacetic
price -
$20.00

Wholphin
9
It seems like some of you have forgotten about the wholesome goodness
that is Wholphin, The DVD magazine of rare and unseen short
films.
Seeing as how we like all things related to the number nine,
we've
chosen this issue to offer a special "let's-get-reacquainted" price
on. It's a packed disc – over three hours worth of
material. It's an
especially good issue,
filled with all sorts of films from around the world. The
official
hype states: "Wholphin No. 9 features
three, hilarious, never-before-seen short films by Spike Jonze (which
include appearances by Maurice Sendack and Catherine Keener, and
illustrations by Marcel Dzama!); Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s adaptation of
Elmore Leonard’s short story, "Sparks," starring Carla Gugino and Eric
Stoltz; the Academy Award-nominated documentary, "La Corona," about a
high-stakes beauty pageant in a Colombian women’s prison; an incredibly
rare and candid glimpse into the life of a Mormon fundamentalist who
shares a husband with her younger biological sister; the Jury
Prize-winning short from Cannes; Caveh Zahedi; meteorites; motordromes;
acting lesson orgasms; films from Belgium, France, Germany, Australia
and Japan, and much more." And there's plenty more besides! Review
the entire contents and preview it here.retail price -
$19.95 copacetic specialprice -
$15.95

OK, there is a growing list
of
new fiction releases here on the shelves at Copacetic that we believe
will be of interest, but, sadly are nowhere near to being able to
proffer any intelligible comments on... so we're going to punt.
In the
following listings we have enlisted the writers' friends and peers who
have graciously contributed the jacket copy – "blurbs" – to do the job
for us.Chronic
CIty
by Jonathan Lethem
Those of you who enjoyed Lethem's contribution to The Book of Other People – as we most certainly did here at
Copacetic –
will be pleased to discover that it was an excerpt from this novel,
about which David Shields has to say: "I'm reminded of the
well-rubbed
Kafka line: A book must be the axe to break the frozen sea within
us.
Lethem's book, with incredible fury, aspires to do little less.
It's
almost certainly his best novel. It's genuinely great." How
about
them apples!retail price -
$28.95 copacetic price
-
$25.00

Zeitoun
by Dave Eggers
"Zeitoun is an instant American classic carved from fierce eloquence
and a haunting moral sensibility. By wrestling with the demons of
xenophobia and racial profiling that converged in the swirling vortex
of Hurricane Katrina and post-9/11 America, Eggers lets loose the
angels of wisdom and courage that hover over the lives of the
beleaguered, but miraculously unbroken, Abdulrahman and Kathy
Zeitoun.
This is a major work full of fire and wit by one of our most important
writers." – Michael Eric Dysonretail price -
$24.00 copacetic price
-
$20.00

The
Death of Bunny Munro
by Nick Cave
"Put Cormac McCarthy, Franz Kafka and Benny Hill together in a Brighton
seaside guesthouse and they might just come up with Bunny Munro.
As it
stands, though, this novel emerges emphatically as the work of one of
the great cross-genre storytellers o our age: a compulsive read
possessing all of Nick Cave's trademark horror and humanity, often
thinly disguised in a galloping, playful romp." – Irvine Welsh (See
Nick read. Read Nick, read.)retail price -
$25.00 copacetic price
-
$22.22

Fantagraphics is still pumping them out...

Pim
& Francieby Al Columbia
Yes, you've read that correctly, it's an entire hardcover volume
devoted to the work of that notorious comics recluse, Al
Columbia.
Enter the deeply creepy cartoon world of funeral parlors, undertakers,
cadavers and creatures the likes of which were never seen anywhere but
in these pages. This book reads like a scrap book for an aborted
animation project that succeeded all too well in dragging the artist's
inner demons out from his unconscious and into the light of the drawing
table lamp, whereupon they proceeded to wreak havoc on his soul.
It
appears that the artist may have come to the realization that he could
not allow these foul creatures to become fully formed, lest they burrow
into the collective consciousness – or, conversely, this may very well
be from whence they emerged and he has cleverly trapped them here so
that we could identify them and thereby prevent them from inflicting
any
further damage. Either way, tread carefully... AND, before,
while or after you do, be SURE to read this
amazing in-depth look at Pim & Francie on ComicsComics.retail price -
$29.95 copacetic price
-
$25.00

Popeye,
Volume 4
by E.C. Segar
The latest giant-size, full-color, die-cut-hardcover collection of the
classic Sunday pages (as well as also containing, in glorious black and
white, the accompanying daily strips, cleverly laid out six [as in
Monday through Saturday] to a page so as to perfectly balance out the
weekly rhythm of the Sunday pages) is here. Classic comics
written and
drawn by E.C. Segar collected in a book designed by Jacob Covey that is
published by Fantagraphics so as to be offered for sale by Copacetic,
and purchased by... you?retail price -
$29.95 copacetic price
-
$25.00Cat
Burglar Black
by Richard Sala
An all new 128 page full color graphic novel full of trademark Sala
tropes. K. is a cute teenage orphan raised by a crazed matron to
be a
master thief and pickpocket. She has now been invited to attend
Bellsong Academy, a (need we say it?) mysterious boarding school where
something is not as it seems... The works of Richard Sala provide
formal pleasures akin to those of amusement park haunted house
rides;
their pages filled with twists that present thrills at every
turn. From (:01) First Second Books. retail price -
$16.95 copacetic price
-
$15.25Project
Recess, Volume 3
by James Jean
The third installment in the elegantly designed and much demanded (the
first two were quick sellouts) series of the art of James Jean provides
an intimate look at the working methods of this talented, stylish and
popular artist. A plain black die-cut cover hints at the informal
sketchbook/scrapbook contents within. Fans who have been waiting
to get an up-close and personal look at the creative core of James Jean
now have their chance. Check
this out for an idea what's
in store (but only a hint, as the cumulative effect of a book full of
work can't be captured in a preview),.retail price -
$34.95
copacetic price -
$29.75

Poem
Strip
by Dino Buzzati
An Italian author and illustrator best known for his 1952 novel, The Tartar Steppe, a Kafkaesque
take on WW II that based in part on his own experiences, as well as for
a series of classic children's books, including The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily,
Dino Buzzati here presents us with his swan song in Poem Strip. An unusual
synthesis of words and pictures, it just barely qualifies as comics...
but it does. Created when the author was in his 60s, and set in a
highly hedonistic and fabulously fleshy rendering of the "swinging
sixties," it is a retelling of the Orpheus myth, casting a pop/rock
singer/songwriter in the lead. It makes for an intriguing read,
and the most fun comes from sussing out the symbol-laden artwork.
There is no getting around the male gaze of the artist and
fetishization of the female form on display here, nor can one avoid the
equations of sex, sin and death, but these are all part of the formula
that links the multiple mythic memes of the Mediterranean. The
republication of this classic simultaneously provides a missing piece
of both the puzzle of the 1960s and the development of the graphic
novel. retail price -
$14.95
copacetic price -
$13.50

Joe
Henry: Blood From Stars (CD)Another impossibly good album from
the one and only Joe Henry. Amazingly, you can listen to the
entire LP online at his site, HERE (Just click on "Launch MP3 player to
listen"). And while you're listening to it, you can take a moment
to read the note he penned on the day of its release, HERE.
And, please note that both the package and booklet covers feature
photographs taken by Eugene Smith in Pittsburgh, PA during his epic Dream Street project of
1955-56.retail
price -
$17.98
copacetic price -
$15.97

And then there's our haul
from SPX 2009. As with every year, we picked
up some great stuff. Some highlights include:

The
Complete Jack Survives
by Jerry MoriartyBegun thirty years ago, Jack has at last
found a permanent luxury dwelling in this sumptuously
produced (by Buenaventura Press) oversized hardcover book that will be
treasured by comics aesthetes everywhere. Jerry Moriarty, who has
the courage to admit that, "When I started out, I didn't know what I
was doing," took a chance and headed into unknown territory, taking a
painterly sensibility rooted in the depression-era
painting of Hopper, Sheeler and
Burchfield, and grafting it straight onto his own hardwired, homegrown
comics sensibility. Without taking the time to worry what it all
meant or where he was going, he just struck out for the territory and
made it all his own. Take a tour.retail price - $34.95
copacetic price -
$29.75

also from Buenaventura Press,
which is currently championing the classic comic book (i.e. pamphlet)
form:

The
Gigantic Robot
by Tom Gauld
A meditation on the ephemerality of existence that tries to have it
both ways, as only comics can.retail price - $16.95 copacetic
specialprice -
$12.95

King-Cat
#70
by John Porcellino
The issue that marks the twentieth anniversary of King-Cat Comics and Stories.
And it really is an extra special issue, one of the best ever.
Twenty years. Amazing. Congratulations, Mr. P.!retail price - $3.00 copacetic
price -
$3.00

Map of My Heart
by John Porcellino
To celebrate King-Cat Comics and
Stories' twentieth birthday, Drawn and Quarterly has given us a present: this swell 360
page volume that collects King-Cat
Comics and Stories #51 - #61 – all classics – in their entirety,
along with copious notes, bonus comics, journal and notebook entries,
maps, and even an index (of titles)! This one should be a
no-brainer for everyone except those who already own the originals (and
even they might be tempted by the bonuses). Those who are
unfamiliar with Porcellino's work can get a nice PDF taste of it here. And, we're adding to the
celebration by offering a special discount.retail price - $24.95 copacetic
special
price -
$19.95

Diehard indy comics
distributor-cum-publisher, Bodega, was on hand with their two latest
releases:Follow Me
by Jesse Moynihan
Here we have 120 pages of comics that stand a good chance of intriguing
quite a few more readers than they currently are (at least around
here). Readers of comics by the Kramers crowd – specifically,
C.F., B.J., and Sammy H. – as well as Chester Brown fans mourning the
lack of new work, and members of the Theo Ellsworth Army, all stand to
be pleasantly surprised by Mr. Moynihan's work in Follow Me, which is,
technically, the third part of The Backwards Folding Mirror (we're out
of the first two parts at the moment, but we'll see what we can do
about getting them back in stock; that said, this one will stand on its
own). Check it out and see what you think, here. retail price -
$11.00 copacetic price
-
$8.75
The Mourning Star, Book 2
by Kazimir Strzepak
The second volume in an ongoing series, this one is, like the first
(which we've still got around here somewhere), a fat, square, Jordan
Crane designed book packed with alternate universe action. This
work shows some affinity to the work of Fort Thunderers Brian
Chippendale, Chris Fourges and, especially, Brian Ralph, in its themes
and visual vocabulary, but it is a quite a bit more accessible to the
uninitiated. retail price -
$13.00 copacetic price
-
$11.00

Tugboat
Press keeps on chugging along...Papercutter #11
The latest issue of our favorite regularly published comics anthology
debuted at SPX, and it's another issue that no indy comics fan will
want to miss. The bulk of the issue – 26 pages and one front
cover worth, to be exact – are devoted to "Lululand," a slice of
life vignette of the life of Lulu a wondering and wandering
washer of dishes and dreamer of dreams trying to figure it out that is
imagined by writer Amy Adoyzie and diligently delineated by Jon
Sukarangsan. Backing this up is "Duperman," a snappy one-pager by
your friend and mine, Dustin Harbin, and "Letter Home," a story of
schoolwork vs. artwork by someone who should know, the Portland, OR
artist and educator, Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg, who takes us through to
the back cover. Inside covers by Nate Beaty. Edited by Greg
Meansretail price -
$4.00 copacetic price
-
$3.50

Some of the better small-press
and self-published comics we picked up include:

Schematic
Comics
by Dan Zettwoch
First off, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention this unexpected treat.
This is a
new printing of one of the hits of SPX 2005 that has long been
unavailable and highly sought after. It collects fifteen fabulous
pieces by the talented and versatile Mr. Zettwoch. All we have to
say
is: If you missed this the first time around, then don't make the
same
mistake twice! Come one down and pick this one up before it's
gone
again. And this goes double for anyone who wasn't around for the
first
go round. This one's a classic of self-publishing. 48 pages
under a
hand-silk-screened cover.retail price -
$3.95 copacetic price
-
$3.95

Funny Aminals
Long suffering fans of the funny animal genre of comic books, one of the classic
standard bearers of the comics tradition that has fallen by the wayside
as of late, have much to rejoice with the release of this magical
magazine size comic book that is clearly a labor of love.
Full color
front and back covers, printed on heavy stock, contain 68 pages of
comics and stories by
the likes of Joe Lambert, Bryan Stone, Colleen Frakes, Penina and more,
all entirely devoted to animal fun, and includes a lengthy essay on the
history of the genre by none other than Mr. Steve "Swamp Thing"
Bissette!
Learn more about the Funny Aminal gang, here. Recommended (and, on special)! retail price -
$8.00 copacetic price
-
$6.00Pope
Hats
by Ethan Rilly
This guy has the chops and pulls off some nice slice of life comics
about twenty-somethings with an easy naturalism and quiet
verisimilitude that make him an obvious choice to nominate as a
potential successor the Adrian Tomine. This comic is a nice,
professionally printed comic, complete with full color cardstock cover,
made possible by Mr. Rilly's receipt of a Xeric grant. We think
you should check this out, so we're offering a special introductory
price on it, for now. retail price - $4.00 copacetic
specialprice -
$2.50
And, while you're at it, you might want to pick up Ethan's latest mini,
The Nervous Party.
It's well worth the $2.00
you'll have to shell out.

Woman
King
by Colleen Frakes
Ms. Frakes took home this year's Ignatz for "Promising New
Talent." The award specifically cited Woman King in its
announcement, so it is a winner by association. We also
have last year's Tragic Relief
trade edition for the same special price.retail price - $7.00 copacetic
price -
$5.95

Exploding
Head Man Solipsist's
Doodles
by Jason Overby
Are you ready for 128 (96 and 32 pages respectively) pages of unimpeded
personal expression in comic book form? If so you might want to
give these the once over. Original and unique, obscure yet
satisfying, Overby's comics are leading us somewhere, but it's too soon
to tell if it's going to be to a place where we'll want to stick
around. Here are comics for risk takers.Exploding Head Man – retail price -
$6.00 copacetic price
-
$6.00Solipsist's
Doodles – retail price -
$3.00 copacetic price
-
$3.00

published
by PictureBox
Yes, Cold Heat Special 8 and 9
have come (and, in the case of number 8, gone as well) but without any
sign of numbers 6 and 7... until now! Over a year in the making, Cold
Heat Special Number Six is now in stock and it's a
one-of-a-kind,
hand-crafted work of art. Wrapped in fabulous front and back
cover
silkscreens – complete with inside front and back cover silk-screened
"endpapers," which are overlaid with hand tipped full color "plates"
(ink jet prints) – this magazine-size special is an aesthetic treat and
feast for the eyes, yes, but most of all it is an experience for the
mind. Extending and vastly expanding on the themes he introduced
in
his first Cold Heat Special (number
two),
Cornwell has here seamlessly merged his own artistic concerns with
those of Cold Heat creators BJ and Santoro to forge a fantastic journey
to the center of the mind that intimates at the nature of eternal
recurrence and the simultaneity of historicity in a universe that has
banished linear time and made way for cosmic consciousness.
Working firmly in the Cold Heat tradition of turning
readers on to DIY culture and the untested
possibilities of a new life living off the grid
and on
the fringes, and smartly leveraging the series'
signs and symbols for maximum psychic impact, this comic
book also reveals that the corridors of power extend in multiple
directions through time and space, penetrating numerous dimensional
barriers along the way, and that the control of the power that thusly
flows is directed by some unusual players engaged in some surprising
relationships. Limited to 100 hand numbered copies. Recommended!retail price -
$12.00 copacetic price
-
$10.00

Items
from our October 2009 listings may now be purchased online at our new
site,HERE.